Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Register you cell phone - you knew this was coming

With the all powerful, all encompassing federal monstrosity you know that eventually congress and federal agencies will get around to requiring the registration of everything so they can control everything for our own good. Here is a great example.

From the article:

Alarmed by the use of hard-to-track prepaid cell phones by terror suspects, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer and Texas Sen. John Cornyn have introduced legislation requiring consumers to produce identification before buying such phones.

We all know how well this sort of nonsense works to stop people from making meth and we know how well this sort of nonsense works at keeping creeps from using firearms to commit crime.

OTOH this is a great opportunity to create a new federal agency and waste huge amounts of money. With the deficit being so large and all I think this is a great idea. NOTE: I was being facetious in case you came in late. There is probably a federal law that says I have to notify you any time I am being facetious and if I don't I will probably go to federal prison for 100 years.

This is like any other federal nonsense in that it will never go away. Like sudafed registration, even after druggies find new ways to make meth using almost no sudafed the registration will remain.

I use one of these anonymous cell phones. I like it. It works pretty much everywhere, even at the farm which is more than I can say for some of the big name services. I can buy a few minutes at a time as I need them, and I don't have to have a 2 year contract and be stuck with lousy service.

The war on terror has been used by the government almost as much as the war on drugs to infringe on just about every aspect of our liberty.

Really, what is the purpose of providing your personal information to some nameless clerk in a store who may be a criminal? Does anyone think that will prevent any sort of attack? I can see it now:

Terrorist 1: Aqmehd, did you buy the cell phones?Terrorist 2: No Muhommed, they wanted to see my driver's license.Terrorist 1: Too bad. I guess now we'll have to give up and go back to Saudi Arabia.

Here is a good one:

"If law enforcement has a legitimate need to surveil, let them surveil," Schumer told The Associated Press, adding, "you can make sure privacy is protected."

The only "privacy" that this loony is interested in protecting is associated with women killing their babies. Is this the same Chuckie Schumer that supports the DISCLOSE act? You know, the act that would make NRA membership lists public? Yes, it's the same Schumer. I guess he isn't too worried about your privacy if you are a member of the NRA.

Instead of requiring the registration of cell phones why don't we just ban cell phones? That would prevent terrorists from using them and ensure the safety of kids in school zones at the same time. Except that it wouldn't do either of those.

There is no idea so silly that the federal government won't support it.